Ambulance arrived within ‘normal time’

TRHA CEO gets report on woman's death

TRHA CEO Sheldon Cyrus

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

CEO of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA), Sheldon Cyrus says there is no need to investigate the island’s ambulance service in the wake of claims by Anderson Graham, 31, that the tardiness of an ambulance led to the deaths of his common-law wife, Jamila Jordon, and their unborn child last month.

Speaking on Saturday, Cyrus said he received a report, as requested, on the death of Jordon, 35, who was reportedly made to wait approximately 40 minutes for an ambulance on July 25.

“I did get a report," Cyrus said, "and from what I am seeing, the manager of the ambulance service says from when the call was made and when the ambulance was dispatched, it was within normal time parameters. He is not seeing the length of delay that the family is talking about. His notes suggest there was not that length of time as is being claimed,”

The CEO said there is a stipulated response time for the ambulance service, but he did not have that information.

Graham, of Store Bay Local Road, said he called for an ambulance at 7 am after Jordon had a seizure.

He recalled the operator telling him no ambulance was available and that he had to hold on. Graham said he called again ten minutes later and was told an ambulance was available in Plymouth and would be dispatched as soon as the service had all the necessary information.

Graham said the operator insisted he had to follow protocol before sending the ambulance.

“We made the call at 6.55 pm. They came at 7.35, five minutes before she passed,” Graham said. He complained that the ambulance attendant was lethargic when he arrived.

Graham said he went public because he did not want anyone to have to experience what he did and called for an improvement in the ambulance service.